This morning before the Belgian Grand Prix, Audi announced that it will enter Formula One for the 2026 season. It is expected that it will be joined on the grid by its sister brand Porsche in partnership with Red Bull.
Audi’s announment marks the first major step in the sport for the Volkswagen Group. Audi said in its announcement that it will decide on a partner team by the end of the year, but it thought that they will work with Sauber.
Audi board chairman Markus Duesmann said, “Audi has officially registered as a PU in Formula One. Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA. Audi has always been successful in motor racing. If you think of Le Mans, Dakar, where we compete now, Formula E or DTM. Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved. After all, Formula 1 and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals. We won’t be starting a brand new team, that is certain, but we have yet to fully decide on which team will be our engine partner. We will design and build the entire powertrain in our facilities in German, making us the only German manufacturer to have its powertrain base in our country.”
Formula 1 President & CEO Stefano Domenicali said, “I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic automotive brand, pioneer and technological innovator. This is a major moment for our sport that highlights the huge strength we have as a global platform that continues to grow. It is also a big recognition that our move to sustainably fuelled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector. We are all looking forward to seeing the Audi logo on the grid and will be hearing further details from them on their plans in due course.”
